


Old Powers, New Awakenings

by orphan_account



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY, Erik Logic Is The Best Logic, Erik is Evil, Honestly Charles What Are You Thinking, M/M, Magic, but he's dead so who cares, old powers, pheonix, shaw is mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 04:19:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12182763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Erik has destroyed Shaw and taken his magic, but what if something has come with it? Old Powers stir, new feelings awaken, can Charles save Erik from himself?





	Old Powers, New Awakenings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thacmis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thacmis/gifts).



> For a tumblr prompt by thacmis - hope you like it :)

Erik walked towards him. Bright darkness poured from the sigils on his neck and helmed and cloaked him in tenebrous fire. Where his bare feet touched the grass it blackened and died.

Charles' fingers clenched on the wheels of his chair.

"Erik . . . Erik, what have you done?"

Erik smiled. His smile was unnaturally wide and full of teeth. The moonlight glinted on their sharp points.

"What have I done? I've done what I set out to do; avenged my parents, destroyed Shaw and taken his power. You should be glad for me, Charles."

"I can't rejoice in the death of any man, even Shaw, but if it brings you peace, I'm glad of that."

Erik laughed.

"Peace? No peace, no yet, Charles. Not until we rule the mundanes as is our right."

"Those are Shaw's words."

"Yes. He had to die because he killed my mother and father, but he was right about the mundanes. Why should we skulk in the shadows? Why should we hide? We were born to rule and gifted with the power to do so."

He was standing within arms reach of Charles now, bursts of heat and cold emanating from him. He was utterly beautiful. He was utterly terrifying. For the first time in his life, Charles was afraid of Erik. Nonetheless, he reached out and took his hand. His touch burned.

"Erik, your parents were mundanes. Many of our friends and allies are mundanes. I know you've always felt we should play a more active part in the world, but this talk of ruling . . . Shaw meddled with the Old Powers . . . I'm afraid Erik, I'm afraid that when you took his magic something else came with it."

Erik's fingers closed on Charles' so hard he cried out and had to send a burst of magic down his arm to stop his bones breaking.

"It did, but I'm not afraid. The power, Charles, the power, I've never felt anything like it. Our spells and incantations are a pale echo of the strength the Old Powers give."

Erik smiled at him, no longer terrifying, but seductive.

"Taste it and tell me it isn't intoxicating."

Rivulets of darkness cascaded down Erik's arm, enveloped Charles' hand, surged up his shoulder and flowed down his spine. He arched in his chair, shot through with flame and ice.

"Stand up, Charles, stand up and come into my arms."

The scar on his back exploded with pain. He screamed. Then the pain was gone and life and warmth flooded his hips and legs. Erik tugged on his hand. He stood. Oh, gods, he could feel his legs, his arse, his belly, his cock and he was standing. Standing. Standing hand in hand with the man he'd loved for a decade. Erik pulled him close and wrapped his arms round him. They were wreathed in livid smoke.

"How many times did you try to heal yourself using the magic you were born with and the collected spells of generations of incompetents? How many times did I try to heal you? Yet with the gift of the Old Ones, it was simplicity itself."

He pushed his fingers into Charles' dark hair, pulled his head back and bent and kissed him. Charles had dreamt of this for years. Erik kissing him. Erik loving him. Erik's lips were warm and his tongue was hot as it eased into Charles' mouth. Electricity shot through him. His cock hardened and he felt Erik stiffen against his belly. He was lost. He was drowning. Erik kissed his throat and tore at his shirt to lick and nip his collarbones. He was overwhelmed by pleasure. Erik pushed his shirt off his shoulder and sank sharp teeth into his flesh. Charles moaned and dug his fingers into Erik's back, clawing at him, burning for him. Burning. Burning.

No.

He shoved Erik away and stepped back, nearly falling over his wheelchair.

"No. The Old Powers had their time. That time is gone. The world is too fragile to bear them. We are too fragile to bear them. I can help you, Erik, I can help you conquer it, cast it out."

Erik stood quite still, an unmoving statue in the midst of a torrent of power.

"I'll give you one more chance, one more chance to choose me instead of the mundanes, to choose power instead of helplessness, to stand at my side and rule the world."

"We would not rule the world, we would destroy it. I know how tempting it seems, such strength, such power, but it twists everything, it turns you against your friends, it turns you against yourself. I know - "

"You know nothing. You have made your choice, now suffer the consequences."

He held out his hands, palms up, and slowly raised them. Charles rose into the air, limbs dragged into a crucifixion pose. He summoned his magic and tried to resist. Nothing. The Power that coursed through Erik barely noticed his struggles. He fought to speak, but it was as if his lips were sewn together. He had to tell Erik. He had to warn him. He tried to touch Erik mind to mind. His thoughts were swept away like tears in a thunderstorm.

The shadows soared above Erik in vast wings. He smiled. He scarcely looked human.

"Goodbye, old friend."

He clenched his fists. The shadow wings roared into dark flame, towered still higher, then crashed down on Charles. He was burning. Burning. Burning.

\----------

Erik gazed at Charles as he was consumed by fire. Deep within something screamed at him to stop, this was Charles, his oldest friend, the man he'd loved with an unspoken passion for years and he was killing him. Something else, something ancient, whispered that sacrifices must be made if he was to rule and what better sacrifice than a burnt offering. Erik fought the whisperer in vain. It was as if the voice had been in his head forever, just on the cusp of hearing and now, finally, he could hear it and he could not disobey. Part of him didn't want to disobey. Part of him shrieked:

"Charles!"

The flame intensified. Charles was lost in it. Gone.

Something changed. The fire didn't die down, but the shadows did. The darkness fled as the flames brightened to red, to gold, to white. The flames took shape. A massive head reared up. Huge wings stretched from horizon to horizon. An endless tail blazed like a comet. Erik fell to his knees under the pressure of a vast presence. The Power in him recognised one of its own, but greater, immeasurably greater.

A column of flame swallowed him whole. The Old Power shrilled in pain as it was burnt out of him. Erik couldn't scream, the pain was too great. Everything was lost in churning heat and whiteness.

He opened his eyes. He was lying at the centre of a great circle of ash. Beyond the circle the moonlight shone on grass and trees and the mansion. Within the circle there was nothing but faintly glowing cinders. And a mound. A mound of grey ash about five and a half feet long and about two feet wide.

"Charles?"

His voice was a dried out rasp. He crawled towards the mound. His hair fell into his face. It was completely white. He reached the mound and scrabbled at the ash. Underneath was Charles. His clothes and hair - all his hair - had been burnt away. His breathing was deep and regular and he looked as though he were peacefully asleep.

"Charles," croaked Erik and proceeded to cough his guts up.

The coughing woke Charles from his trance. He stared about him, dazed and blinking. These blue eyes fixed on Erik. Slow and sure and dazzling as the sunrise he smiled.

"Erik."

He grabbed Erik in his strong arms and held him tight. Erik grasped him just as hard.

"I thought I'd killed you," muttered Erik.

"I thought I'd killed you."

"Except it wasn't entirely us, was it?"

Charles shook his head.

"All those conversations about how dangerous the Old Powers were. How human beings couldn't hope to control them. How even the best intentions would turn to illl. You really knew what you were talking about. That . . . that . . . thing, that was the Phoenix, wasn't it?"

Charles nodded.

"Whatever it was that possessed me, the Phoenix annihilated it. Is it, the Phoenix, still in you?"

"Yes. It always has been. My best guess is it latched onto me at birth. Until I was twelve I thought it was just a part of the magic. Then as my studies expanded and I realised what it was . . . I was terrified. Terrified of it. Terrified of what people might think of me if I told them. Terrified of what they might do to me. Terrified of what it might do to protect me. It's very protective."

"Yes, I gathered that."

Charles half laughed, half sobbed. Erik squeezed him tight.

"I'm sorry for trying to murder you and being a megalomaniac. I'd like to claim it was all the Old Power, but some of it was me, not the trying to murder you bit, but the ruling the world bit. I'm not sure I've entirely given up on the ruling the world bit."

Charles sighed.

"I hope you've given up on trying to murder me."

"Yes," said Erik and kissed him.

"This is hardly the time and place for that," said Charles and kissed him back.

"The white hair really suits you." Charles ran his fingers through Erik's platinum locks.

"The bald look really suits you." Erik stroked the soft skin of Charles' head.

"What?"

"You're bald."

"I'm what?"

"Bald. Er . . . I'm sure it'll grow back. Your eyebrows and eyelashes and body hair too."

Charles frantically rubbed his hands over his head. He slumped in Erik's arms.

"Fuck."

"Hey, it really does suit you, I'm not just saying that. Also . . . I love you."

Huge blue eyes, beautiful even without lashes and brows, gazed into his.

"I love you too."

They kissed some more, gently, because they were both feeling pretty beaten up.

"I can't feel my legs again. Oh well, it was nice to have them back even if it was only for five minutes."

"Why doesn't the Phoenix fix your paraplegia?"

"I wish I knew. When it first happened, I begged and pleaded, but it just wouldn't. I ask it every year on my birthday and it always says no and refuses to give any explanation, mardy bugger. I've got used to the paraplegia, truth be told. Not that it doesn't make life difficult sometimes, but there's surprisingly little it stops me doing that I really want to do. Oh, if . . . if you're not interested because of that - "

Erik kissed him in a way that made clear he was highly interested. Charles nestled comfortably into his arms.

"I can't help feeling we're going to be doing a lot of shouting at each other and arguing and fighting at some point, given everything that's happened and your world domination tendencies," said Charles.

"I was thinking we'll probably spend the rest of our lives arguing and fighting."

Charles smiled. "I like the sound of that." His smile changed to a frown. "Oh dear. Some students have decided it's safe to venture out and I think they're going to mount a rescue bid and you're in rags and I'm naked and bald and this is very embarrassing."

"I'll levitate us to your bedroom."

"Yes, because floating around naked and bald is not at all embarassing."

"Make us invisible you idiot, you were always better at invisibility spells, unless your fiery friend wants to help out."

"You're going to bring up the Phoenix every time we argue, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Fine, just so long as you don't mind me screaming "murder" at random moments."

They continued squabbling as Erik levitated them towards the mansion. Charles cast an invisibility charm so the students couldn't see them as they floated overhead. Unfortunately he neglected to make them inaudible . . .

**Author's Note:**

> This is the photo that inspired the prompt: [Fassy](https://fullmetalcarer.tumblr.com/post/165669078365/i-love-this-photo-and-want-to-do-some-sort-of)


End file.
